Blood Riot
by Liquidation
Summary: The 70th Hunger Games. The brave, the strong, the beautiful. Do you fight for fame, wealth, and glory or do you fight for love, family, and life? Not your average SYOT... SYOT CLOSED, but by all means, feel free to read it.
1. Info and Prologue

**Alright, so I've been busy with the hectic year, but now that it's summer, I have A LOT of free time so I decided to revisit my Hunger Games SYOT. Unfortunately, I haven't updated in months and it kind of went stale so I decided to open a new SYOT.**

**THOSE SENDING IN TRIBUTES, IMPORTANT READ:**

**This SYOT will contain the basic districts (1-12) and format with one victor at the end. This will take place during the 70th Hunger Games, so no quarter quell. I will be keeping submissions open until June 26th or 28th before selecting the best out of those. During the selection process, expect a confirmation, turn down, or character-edit PM. I will be only taking a maximum of ten to eleven tributes as twenty-four is very hectic and I want to be able to feature each tribute equally.**

**Character forms are available on my profile. PM them to me as I will ignore those sent in as reviews. When submitting your character, keep in mind their district's specialty, staying away from the typical stereotypes (Districts 1, 2, 4, and 12's stereotypes specifically), making the character as interesting and detailed as possible (as it would obviously give your character a higher chance of being accepted), and staying away from Mary/Gary Sues. I personally start taking a liking to the antagonist characters. I do appreciate detailed characters, but try to keep things relevant. Reservations will not be necessary.**

**I know that it is unfair to the authors who created characters for my unfinished SYOT, Blood Lust, so to those who sent in characters for Blood Lust, if you would still like your previous character in this story, PM me a heads up so I can add them to the list.**

**If you would like to read a sample of my SYOT style, you are more than welcome to check out my finished SYOT, Blood Rush.**

**And now to appease the SYOT Nazi's, as I'm required to write something that _isn't _about the submission information, I present to you a lovely little prologue…**

* * *

**Avox Girl**

I sat on the window ledge in the darkened avox quarters, watching the festivities below. Usually, I waited on President Snow's family, but every year, they moved me and a number of other avoxes to where the year's Hunger Game's tributes would be staying. Tomorrow was the start of the annual Hunger Games reaping and many of the Capitol citizens celebrated around the town square clock tower, much like they did during New Years, to wait for the countdown. The Hunger Games was the most celebrated holiday in the Capitol. It sickened me really. Another twenty-three lives will be taken, and many more destroyed, including the lone survivor. I would watch with a careful eye as the previous victors would return as mentors or livestock to be auctioned off. Every time they grew paler, older, and what little life that was left in them after the games diminished into nothing. They might as well have died with the others. Many turned to the use of alcohol and drugs to run away from the haunting memories, but it didn't matter. They weren't the same child who walked into the games. The games slowly ate away at their mind and soul until nothing was left but a skeleton of their former self. No fame or riches would ever fix the damage done.

The cheers from the people below broke me out of my reverie. They were all gathered around the clock now, eagerly waiting for midnight. It was almost time. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, listening to the rowdy citizens below.

"Twelve… Eleven… Ten… Nine… Eight… Seven… Six…Five…Four…Three… Two…One…"

I didn't hear the clock strike midnight as it was overpowered by the muffled roar of the crowd. They whooped and hollered, hugging and kissing their friends, family, and loved ones joyously. All the while, the district people hugged and kissed their friends, family, and loved ones sorrowfully for it might be their last time. I pitied those who lived in the district. Even I, an avox slave with my tongue carved out, had a better life than them. I sighed and went back to my bed amongst the other sleeping avoxes. Another year, another twenty-four dead.

* * *

**Remember to PM me your characters and may the odds be ever in your favor!**


	2. Tributes

**Well the moment you've all been waiting for. Final List! Thanks to everyone who submitted, I really do appreciate it and please, even if your character didn't make it, feel free to still keep up with the story. I had a lot of interesting character entries and it was gruesome trying to limit it down to the last nine tributes out of a whopping twenty-eight entries. So I'll cut to the chase and reveal who the featured tributes will be.**

**District 1 Female: Katerina Thorne  
District 1 Male: Marble Maverick  
District 2 Female: Bianca Beauregard  
District 3 Female: Athea DiMae  
District 4 Female: Arra Priestly****  
District 6 Female: Yvette Alenin  
District 7 Female: Ivy Briarwood  
District 7 Male: Flint West  
District 12 Male: Cyran Lale**

**A little shout out to those who didn't make it in. I did enjoy all of your characters though it would be too much for me to handle if I accepted all the tributes sent in to me. The selection process was very hard as well. I reread every form thoroughly before making my final decision, but I do feel like I made the right choice. Keep in mind that I also had to base my selection off of how well (or how terribly) the characters fit with each other and balancing the alliances. I did really like a lot of the characters, but to avoid repetitive characters (I had about three killers, four insane people, and a bajillion mary sues) and for the sake of limiting the number of tributes down, I couldn't take all of them. Thank you again and it would be great if you continued to keep up with this SYOT.**

**A little shout out to those who did make it. Kudos to you, you've survived the blood bath - and for those of you who are new, yes your characters will survive the actual blood bath. Thanks for your contribution and I hope you decide to keep up with this as well.**

**Just a little heads up, don't expect an update too soon as I will be on a short vacation over the 4th of July holiday, but I promise I'll hit the ground running once I get back.**

**Thank you (for the third time now) and I hope to see you all soon!**


	3. District 1: Katerina and Marble

**Katerina Thorne**

I stood waiting in the abandoned warehouse for Lacey and Erica to return with Shimmer at my side. I was beginning to grow impatient with them as it was growing closer to midnight.

"Their time is almost up," Shimmer commented, examining her nails in a bored manner. "You might have to punish three people tonight."

"That I might do," I agreed, already planning out their punishment in my mind. Finally, the doors were thrown open and Lacey and Erica entered, shoving a girl onto the ground. I peered down at the shivering wreck of a girl before me. "You're late."

"F-forgive us Katerina. It took us longer because of all of the fuss over the reaping tomorrow. We had to take the long way," Erica quickly stammered out.

"I'll deal with you two later," I said coldly and turned my attention back to the girl on the ground. Her unmistakable brown chestnut curls identified her as Glamour Richmond, a fellow female career. She wasn't anything special. Her skills were average and she often shied into the background, going unnoticed.

"W-why are you doing this? Please just let me go!" she pleaded as she grew paler by the second.

I smirked at her reaction. She practically radiated fear and I eagerly fed off of it. It was my source of control over others and gave me power. "I think you're right to be afraid of me, Glamour. Do you know why you're here?"

She instantly froze and stared wide-eyed at me in horror as I saw a thought cross her mind. "T-that… I didn't mean... How did you…?"

"One of my sources told me that you planned on volunteering tomorrow in my stead. Be careful what you say, Glamour, the walls have ears. I have many followers who are always on the lookout for conspirators. I'm not particularly fond of people who try to cross me and I'm sure you are quite aware of what happens to those who try."

She scrambled back, but Lacey and Erica grabbed her. "Please, it's not my fault! They picked you as the representative for this year and this is my last year to volunteer. I was desperate. You still have another year left so I figured it wouldn't be a big deal," she pleaded as she struggled in their grasp.

"You think you had a chance to win?" I grabbed her face roughly, my nails digging into her skin and drawing blood. "You are _nothing_. The reason why they never selected you as a representative is because you're worthless and a poor excuse for a career. Did you really think you would have been able to escape me? Do you think I'm a fool and that you'd get away with this unscathed? You've highly underestimated me, Glamour, a dangerous move on your part." At this point, she was sniveling as fat tears rolled down her face. A twisted smile slowly made its way onto my face as my blood raced with anticipation. "I'm going to make an example of you, Glamour. Obviously, I haven't been making my message clear."

* * *

I looked on in satisfaction at the broken mess of a girl on the floor. Both of her arms were broken along with a few ribs, bruises decorated her body from head to toe, her expensive dress was now torn and dirtied with grime, vomit, and blood, the shiny curls she prided herself over were cropped unevenly, and her face was mutilated by three deep gashes. My bloodied hands itched to put an end to her and it would have been all too easy. All it would take was a swipe of my knife, but I knew I couldn't kill her. I wasn't an idiot. With the Capitol's advanced technology, they'd easily track the murder back to me. At least this way, she'd be too scared to name a perpetrator.

Angered that I couldn't kill her, I kicked her for good measure and spat on her. "Pathetic," I muttered as I made my way out, followed by Shimmer. "Lacey, Erica, finish the job and you better do it right this time or else I might reconsider letting you off the hook, and trust me, you don't want that to happen."

I wiped my hands and face off with a handkerchief as we made our way down the darkened street. I was very irate knowing that I wasted too much of my time on Glamour, but leaving her to Lacey and Erica to begin with would have been too light of a punishment.

"I'll be gone for the Hunger Games for the next week or so, so I'm leaving Glamour to you. Let the others know that she is to be outcast and ignored. Anyone who defies these orders will share her fate, is that clear? I can't keep having people think they can get away with double crossing me."

"Yes, Katerina," Shimmer replied curtly.

"Good."

We walked the rest of the way in silence. Shimmer split off from me to return home as I continued down the road to the large house at the end of the block. As I approached, I saw a faint light from the living room. Cursing under my breath, I opened the door and immediately ducked, avoiding the glass that was aimed for my head. The alcohol glass shattered against the wall and decorated the marble floor.

"You uselessss gurl," my father slurred as he staggered off of the couch. "Alwoys crauwling bak herre lick the ungratefull little slutt you are."

I ignored him, but his screams brought my mother from her room. From the top of the staircase, her eyes scanned the scene before they landed on me, narrowing with hatred. "Look at what you've done. Clean up this mess, Katerina."

I calmly climbed the stairs and stood in front of her challengingly. "And if I don't?"

Her face grew red and twisted in a grotesque way. "W-why you little…" She raised her hand as if to smack me, but I caught her wrist in a deadly grip. I wasn't a child anymore. She couldn't do anything to me.

"You don't want to do that," I warned her before walking to my room.

"Charlotte, cleen this messs!" Father shouted in his voice that promised a beating later.

She sent me one last withering glare before obeying his orders. I smirked victoriously as I entered my room. My father was pathetic and my mother a fool. Father was a peacekeeper trainer who once had everything he had ever wanted. He was handsome, well liked, and had a trophy wife. Now his looks withered with age and alcohol consumption and he was demoted to training the newcomers. Mother was absorbed in beauty and materialism. You could only imagine her horror when I surpassed her looks at a young age. She often raved like a madman about how I was sucking away all of the beauty from her. They were repulsive – a perfect match for each other. I was disgusted to share the same blood as them. It didn't matter though. Once I win the games I will be forever rid of these two pieces of filth.

Tomorrow was the day I've been waiting for. My hands shook in anticipation. I loved the thrill that came with killing. It was like a drug I couldn't get enough of and in the games, I'll have an ample supply. A laugh bubbled out of my throat at the thought. I'll put on a show they'll never forget.

**Marble Maverick**

I disarmed Glint before dodging Gold's attempt to slash at me and knocking the sword out of his hand with a swing of my foot. They both fell to the training room floor breathlessly and I bent over to catch my breath as well. My skin and blonde hair were covered in sweat and I was a little sore from all the sparing. We had been training since dawn without a break and it was nearly nightfall now.

"Geez, I'm exhausted," Gold moaned as he fell on his back.

"When you said you wanted to spar, you didn't mention it would take all day," Glint commented as he looked over at the clock.

I chuckled and put our swords back in the rack. "Yeah, thanks guys for sticking around. I'm going to need all the training I can get."

"Why?" Gold asked incredulously as he got up. "You're already one of the best, if not the best career in the district."

Glint smirked and got up as well. "Well the reaping is tomorrow and you never know what the competition will be like. I say you're lucky that the mentors picked you to represent the district this year. Gold and I have to duke it out for the position next year. Who's the female volunteer anyway?"

I smile faltered slightly. "Katerina Thorne."

Glint frowned. "That will be pretty tough since she's also one of the best… She's a little strange isn't she? She always has a pack of lackeys following her, but she never really talks to anyone besides that Shimmer girl. I've heard a lot of weird stuff about her too."

"I don't really know her, but I've seen her a few times during her training sessions. She'll definitely be an obstacle."

"At least one of us won't be up against her next year," Gold laughed out as we made our way out of the training facility.

Gold and Glint were my best friends and we were probably the best careers in the district. We practically were brothers as we grew up together training for the Hunger Games. As we grew older, we started to surpass the careers our age and soon the careers that were older than us. I've seen other competitive careers destroy friendships with their struggle for power, but we were different. Nothing could pull us apart. When I was notified that the mentors had chosen me to volunteer for the games, Gold and Glint supported me while the others hated and envied me. Of course, as we were all seventeen, only one of them could volunteer next year, leaving one of them behind. I knew they both were anxious for the day they would know who the mentors would pick, but they didn't let it get to their friendship. Even after this whole ordeal, I knew we'd all still be friends.

We walked from the training facility to the housing division on the outskirts of the district where we all lived. With short good byes and good lucks from Gold and Glint, we went our separate ways. I spotted my house in the darkness as the lights dimly glowed from within. When I entered, I was immediately tackled – or attempted to be – by Glitter, my younger sister. Anyone could easily tell we were related as we shared the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and smile. She had just turned ten and started her career training, which really unsettled me. It pushed my desire to win the games even further. If I won, then Glitter wouldn't have to volunteer in the future. I'd do anything for her, really.

"Whoa there, what are you still doing up?" I questioned her with a big grin as I ruffled her hair. "You should be resting up for the reaping tomorrow morning."

She pouted. "I'm old enough to stay up as late as I want. Besides, I'm not able to be reaped or volunteer yet."

"Marble, is that you?" my mother called from the kitchen.

"Yeah," I replied and strode over with Glitter on my back.

She was washing the dinner dishes in the sink, but there was still a covered plate on the table waiting for me.

"Eat up before it gets too cold."

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Where's dad?"

My answer was given when I saw my father limp into the kitchen. He looked tired and weary as always. My father, Max Maverick, had always wanted to be in the games. He trained for the games his whole life, dreaming about volunteering for the Hunger Games. He was one of the best too, but when he was sixteen, he got into a training accident and permanently injured his knee. Because of it, he was unable to volunteer. Even to this day, he still carries a limp when he walks. To him, it's an everyday reminder of what he could have been. Because he could never volunteer, he raised me from birth to be a career. He wanted to fulfill his dream through me, though my mother was always worried that he was pushing me too hard.

"Did you just get back?" Dad asked as he sat down at the table.

"Yeah. Gold, Glint, and I were training the whole day."

"Good. You'll need all the extra training you can get." He gazed off for a moment, looking back on a distant memory before giving me a crooked smile.

"Tomorrows the day," he said and placed a strong hand on my shoulder. "This is it, Marble. Make your old man proud."

I looked from my curious sister to my anxious mother and nodded. I never wanted to be in the games. I never wanted to volunteer, but I knew I had to. I had to for my father, my mother, Gold, Glint, and Glitter. They were all counting on me and it was too late for backing out now. I looked back up to him confidently, our identical eyes locking, and gave him a determined smile. I knew for him, it was like looking through a window of himself in the past.

"I will."

* * *

The reaping came upon me quickly. I stood beside Gold and Glint in a clean white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and brown slacks, my hair in its usual fohawk style. I knew the rest of my family was off in the crowd somewhere, waiting anxiously.

"You nervous?" Glint asked, nudging me.

I laughed. "Of course not. I've been training for this my whole life."

"What's going on over there?" Gold asked, peering over the heads of the other boys.

We looked over to see the crowd of girls part, obviously avoiding the girl that walked in to join them. My stomach did a flip just looking at her. Her hair looked like it was torn out viciously as there were bald spots, both of her arms were broken and in slings, both of her eyes were blackened and the rest of her skin decorated in cuts and bruises, and three long gashes were carved into her face at angles where they wouldn't heal without scarring. Whoever did this to her knew what they were doing. The other girls treated her as if she were a leper. They wouldn't stay within a three-meter radius from her and avoided eye contact by keeping their eyes downwards.

"Who is that?" I asked, but it came out in a hushed whisper.

"I think… I think that's Glamour Richmond," Glint murmured back.

I grew sick. I've seen her around the district before and she was also a career. Who would do this to her?

"Ladies and gentlemen of District One!" a feminine voice announced in a thick Capitol accent, breaking us away from the scene. "It is my honor to be your Capitol representative for this year's seventieth annual Hunger Games. You can't even imagine the anticipation the Capitol feels about this year's games and I hope that you share the same excitement as I do," she gushed happily. She continued on about the Capitol's glory and the same old story about the districts. I've heard this speech so many times that I could probably recite it myself. I had been spacing off for a while when Gold nudged me.

"Marble, they're drawing," he whispered as the representative drew a name out of the bin.

"The male tribute for this year is…"

"I volunteer!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

As I made my way up to the stage, I received many glares by the careers and a knowing smile from the representative. It was almost expected for District One to always have volunteers.

"And what is your name, young man?" she asked, shoving the microphone in my face.

"Marble Maverick."

"Good, good! Now on to the ladies," she sung as she made her way back to the bin.

I looked out into the crowd and saw my family. My mother was still worried as ever, my father wore the brightest smile I've ever seen him have, and my sister looked at me in confusion. She still didn't quite understand what the Hunger Games were about and I liked it that way. Gold and Glint wore matching crooked smiles as they watched me from the crowd. I think they were the only ones out of the careers smiling.

"And the female tribute for this year is…"

As expected, another voice rang out. "I volunteer as tribute!"

A beautiful girl with long golden hair made her way onto the stage.

"And what is the name of this lovely young lady?" the representative asked sweetly.

"Katerina Thorne," she answered politely. She looked over towards Glamour's direction and gave a malicious, triumphant smirk, but she was back to smiling brightly at the representative a split second later. I blinked twice, wondering if I saw wrong.

"Well that's it folks! Meet our two new tributes from District One!" the Capitol representative announced cheerfully.

We turned towards each other and shook hands as the crowd cheered. She was even more beautiful up in person. Her golden hair glowed like a halo around her face, thick, long lashes shaded her dark blue eyes, and her face and body were sculpted to perfection. As we locked eyes, she gave me a mysterious smirk with a hint of the same malice I saw earlier before turning away towards the roaring crowd. I turned back to the crowd as well, now wondering what Glint had heard about her. These games might be a lot more dangerous than I thought. All I knew was that I was going to have to keep a close eye on Katerina.

* * *

**Ight, well District One's up and running**

**Katerina's kind of a psychopath, isn't she, but she'll be very interesting in the games**

**I'm sure Marble can give her a run for her money though**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	4. District 2: Bianca

**Bianca Beauregard**

I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, looking over my attire; a faded white blouse and a pale blue skirt. I couldn't believe I had changed so much over the past year. My blonde hair flowed over my shoulders, but grew coarse as I cared for it less and less, my face had grown sharp and angular, the features hardened, my body was built like any other career because of all of the training I've done, and my brown eyes had long lost their sheen. One year. It had been exactly one year since then…

* * *

_"And the female tribute for this year's sixty-ninth annual Hunger Games is… Bianca Beauregard!"_

_I felt myself grow pale and my stomach drop at the announcement. I wasn't a career. I wouldn't survive a day in the games. I felt my breath become shallow as I shakily took a step forward._

_"I volunteer as tribute!" a voice shouted beside me._

_I turned my head in disbelief as my best friend, Noelle, confidently raised her hand. Before I could recover from the shock, Noelle was already escorted to the stage._

_"And what is your name, deary?" the capitol representative asked sweetly._

_"Noelle," she answered. "Noelle Tomas."_

* * *

_"Oh god Noelle. I'm so sorry! This is my fault. You shouldn't have volunteered for me," I sobbed out during the visitation. How could this have happened?_

_"Bianca, it's fine, really. I was planning on volunteering anyway," Noelle assured me with a small smile._

_"What?"_

_"My family needs the victor money and we can't keep on accepting help from your family forever. Your family has helped us so much and I am thankful for that. Consider your debt paid."_

_I bit my lip and shook my head. "That isn't enough. We never wanted you to pay us back. My parents are so grateful that they can't even bare to see you. You saved me with the price of your life."_

_"No. I'm coming home, Bianca. I promise. I have too much at stake to lose," she stated determinedly. Ever since her father died and her stepmother left them, Noelle and her older brother Noel have been struggling to support their half sister, Belle. As my best friend, I couldn't let them struggle like that. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. She wasn't ready for this. She wasn't a career. This is all my fault._

_"My family will take care of Belle and Noel while you're gone," I promised as more tears streamed down my face. "I'm going to miss you so much."_

_We embraced tightly for the last time before I was escorted out of the room by the peacekeepers._

* * *

_My family, Noel, and Belle refused to watch the games, but I had to. I needed to reassure myself that Noelle was safe._

_Noelle sat around a small fire, eating a squirrel for dinner when the boy from District Seven jumped out of the shadows and tackled her to the ground. He underestimated her strength and she kicked him off of her and pulled out a knife. He jumped back and pulled out a knife as well._

_"So you're all alone I see," she stated as they wearily circled each other. "Your three teammates died early today."_

_"Yeah, but I can obviously handle myself," he lied smoothly. His district partner and two others had been killed by the careers earlier on. Noelle must have thought he still had his original alliance, but he had betrayed them for the girl from District Six from the very beginning. My stomach knotted knowing that the District Six girl was alive and probably going to ambush her._

_"Funny that you came out without a scratch," Noelle observed._

_"I was in the right place at the right time. The careers didn't even miss me."_

_He lunged towards her with his knife, but she jumped away quickly. She spun around him and dug her knife into his arm. He hissed in pain as he made another swipe at her, but she dodged that as well._

_"Face it, you may be bigger than me, but you're also a lot slower. You don't stand a chance," Noelle said, trying to get his confidence down._

_"I see how you managed to pull a high training score," he stated off handily as his left arm was limp from the stab wound._

_"Yes, but I don't see how you got a higher score than me," she muttered bitterly. He lunged for her again, but she jumped out of the way. He continued to push her back, but she finally got the upper hand. She threw her knife and it embedded itself in his thigh. He fell to the ground, clutching his wound. He was useless now. "That shows you to underestimate me. You shouldn't have come looking for me." He raised his knife and she shook her head. "You won't be able to hit me."_

_He threw his knife at her, making her jump backwards and trigger a net trap. Noelle gave a startled scream as the net ensnared her and pulled her high above the ground. She didn't even have her knife anymore to cut herself down as it was still in his thigh._

_"Kin!" he called. A few seconds later, the District Six girl walked into the clearing. "She's all yours, just as promised," he stated before going to treat his wounds._

_"You know, you could have just called for help," the girl offered, looking at the struggling Noelle. My heart raced thinking this could be the end._

_"I told you I could handle it by myself. I just wasn't planning on her being so strong."_

_"Well, you did your part. Now it's time for me to have some fun," she replied with a smirk. My stomach twisted as the insane girl grinned at Noelle._

_"Just make it quick. We don't want to have every tribute aware of where we are."_

_She splashed Noelle with some kind of liquid from a canteen before grabbing one of the fiery sticks from her campfire. "Let's make a bonfire."_

_I screamed as they lit her on fire. I wanted to run and hide and escape it. I wanted to believe that it was just some kind of terrible nightmare. I quickly turned off the TV, but Noelle's screams still echoed in my mind._

* * *

I shuddered at the memory. She died and it was all my fault. That should have been me burning in those flames. Her screams still haunt me every waking second of every day and in my nightmares.

"Bianca, it's time to go," my mother said through the door.

"Alright, I'll be down in a minute," I replied hoarsely.

I gripped the edge of the mirror and took a shaky breath to calm myself. My sorrow was replaced by a new determination. I had watched the crowning of last year's victor and realized that the Capitol didn't give a damn that Noelle perished at their leisure. They didn't care for any of them at all. The Capitol was filled with corrupt, heartless pigs. It was from that, that my hatred for the Capitol stemmed.

As I had promised, my family and I took care of Noel and Belle. I thought of them as my own siblings, really, just as I saw Noelle. Noel, now twenty, finally got a stable job in masonry while Belle, now nine, was off at school. I kept my promise, but it could never repay my debt nor diminish my guilt. Since Noelle's death, I trained intensely for the games. I spent entire days and nights training nonstop with the careers to quickly climb to their level. I was good but I knew I probably wouldn't win. I just wanted and needed to avenge Noelle's death. My driving force was to kill off the District Six and Seven tributes to settle the score and maybe, my conscious would finally be cleared.

I made my way downstairs where my parents were waiting for me. They sat at the table in silence, but looked up at me when they heard me enter the room.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

Father looked away and nodded, but Mother still had her eyes trained on me; those sad, desperate eyes searching for something in me.

"Is something wrong?"

"N-no, it's just... I worry about you," she confessed dejectedly.

"There's nothing to worry about," I replied stonily, taking a seat next to her.

"It's just that you've never been the same since last year. Noel and Belle have noticed too. You're never home, you bar your old friends away from you, you rarely say a word to anyone anymore, and even when you're home, you always lock yourself in your room." She sighed before reaching up to cup my face. "I'm just wondering where my innocent, little girl has gone."

I turned my head away as tinge of guilt stung my chest. They didn't know I was going to volunteer yet. No, I had the reaping to focus on. I can't turn back now. "She's gone," I murmured in reply. "Come on, we'll be late."

When we got to town square, I was separated from them and sorted with my respected gender and age group. Amongst me stood anxious girls and confident careers. I just had to make sure I volunteered first.

"Good morning District Two and happy Hunger Games!" the capitol representative sang out cheerfully. "It is my pleasure to host our new lucky tributes from District Two this year. I can just feel the excitement, can't you?" I waited anxiously as she went on with her speech. My heart was racing with anticipation. Now it was a matter of which person volunteered the fastest. "And now for the drawing! Ladies first," she said as she made her way to the bin. She pulled out the slip of paper and as she drew her breath to read it, my hand shot up in the air.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I shouted.

The representative was taken back by the sudden interjection, but smiled warmly at me as I made my way to the stage.

"Ah such a pretty little thing. What's your name?" she cooed.

"Bianca Beauregard," I answered determinedly.

As she went to draw from the boys' names, I looked for my family and Noel and Belle. When I finally spotted them from the crowd, my parents were sobbing while Noel consoled them. Belle was crying as well. She didn't quite understand the games, but she knew that her sister went to them and never came back. Their grief over my decision broke my heart, but I had a stony resolve. I had already cried my tears, now all that was left was hatred. Noelle. I did this for Noelle.

* * *

**Well that's D2 for you**

**Welcoming our newest career, Bianca Beauregard!**

**D6 and 7 better watch out now**

**Thought I'd put a few fast updates to entertain you before I go on my 4th July vacation**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. District 3: Athea

**Athea DiMae**

_I ran around a never-ending labyrinth of stony white hallways as fear gripped me. Somewhere in my subconscious, I knew they were in danger._

_"Mom, Dad, where are you? Micah?" I shouted desperately._

_I finally came to a long hallway and at the end, Mom, Dad, and Micah stood hand in hand in front of a laboratory door. The windows on the door were fogged with smoke and flames. I sprinted with all my might, praying I wouldn't be too late, but no matter how hard I tried, it was as if I stayed in the same place. The flames behind the door grew brighter and brighter until they turned white and in a second, my family was consumed by the explosion._

_"NOOO!" I screamed and tears rolled down my face as I watched the flames consume the rest of the hallway and encircle me. I looked up and there in the flames, the Capitol symbol burned brightly in a foreboding way._

* * *

I jolted awake, staring at the white ceiling of my room as I breathed heavily. I was covered in sweat as if I was really consumed by flames and my heart raced in the aftershock. I groaned and turned over in my bed. I had that nightmare again. It was the same nightmare that plagued my dreams ever since my parents died in a laboratory explosion. Now that I was awake, I knew my brother, Micah, was sound asleep in the room next door, safe from my nightmares.

Knowing full well from experience that I wouldn't be able to sleep, I got out of bed and grabbed my secret stash of books I kept hidden under my floorboards. I stole them from my parents' library before the peacekeepers came and destroyed their home office. Of course I wasn't able to do it unscathed. I received a gunshot wound in my right calf that has healed up and left a visible scar. I knew that there was a reason they wanted to get rid of all of this information. All of the books were published long before the birth of Panem and many of them talked of the countries that existed before and around it. Hidden within their pages lay my notes and plans for the fall of the Capitol.

I've always suspected that the Capitol had something to do with my parents' death. They were working on a big project and I often saw them taking home a small microchip to do extra work from their office. The week before their death, there were multiple peacekeepers going in and out of the lab, confiscating files, information, and equipment. I knew they would be after the microchip my parents spent so much time on so I stole it before they could confiscate it and kept it hidden within my bullet wound ever since. I remember that there was a huge uproar about the microchip after their death. Many peacekeepers and Capitol authorities ransacked the destroyed lab and our house and even questioned us about it. I didn't know what kind of information was stored in it, but if the Capitol wanted it that badly, it had to be something big. The books and the microchip gave me hope about the rebellion. I've made plans ever since my parents' death to revive the rebellion and bring down the Capitol. Maybe I could escape to one of these far away countries and get their help or start my own nation.

I studied my plans until morning. As I put my books away, a feeling of dread sunk in. Today was the reaping. Ever since my parents' death, Micah and I have avoided being placed in a community home by secretly living in our old house and never going out in public. For the past few years, my friend, Fahrin, has secretly given us food and taught us everything he learned from school to keep our secret safe. I really don't know what I'd do without him. We tried to lie as low as possible, but I was forced to come out every year because of the reaping. Thankfully, I was overlooked in the vast sea of possible candidates, but this year, Micah turned eleven so now he had to go with me. One of my worst fears is having Micah be separated from me and placed in a community home, but sometimes, I doubt myself. If he were to go to the community home, he'd have plenty of food, a proper education, and decent housing.

I went down stairs and began to cook breakfast with what was left of the food Fahrin gave us last week. After my parents died, they cut off our power, but Fahrin helped me rewire the house so that it stole what power we used from the district's supply. They still haven't figured out where all of the power has gone, much to my amusement.

I had just finished frying the eggs and bacon when Micah stumbled down the stairs tiredly. "Morning Athea."

"Morning Micah. I made your favorite," I said with a forced cheer. He gave me a crooked smile and eagerly took the plate. "Eat quickly so you can get dressed. We need to go to town square today."

His face fell and he stared down at his plate. "I hate the games," he murmured as he poked at his breakfast, suddenly losing his appetite.

I sighed and sat beside him at the table. "I know, but there's nothing we can do about it. It's the law. They will be more likely to notice our absence than our presence so we have to go." He nodded and we finished our breakfast in silence.

I stared at myself in the mirror, examining my appearance. I wore a faded blue dress I've owned for years and was starting to grow out of, but I couldn't do much about it. I've already tried to stretch it out on multiple occasions. My hair was a wild disarray of red curls as usual and no amount of messing with it would fix it.

A knock on the back door broke me out of my thoughts and I ran down stairs to get it. Just as expected, Fahrin stood in the doorway, wearing that goofy grin of his. He held a bag of groceries in his hand and placed them on the counter as he walked in.

"Beautiful day for the reaping, huh?" he asked sarcastically. The skies had been cloudy and gray as of late, which reflected the foreboding tension of the reaping.

"You could say that," I muttered, looking out at the dreary sky. "Micah should be coming down soon."

His smile fell as he stared at me calculatingly. "You don't look well."

I sighed and ran a hand through my messy curls. "I'm fine, really. I'm just a little stressed out about the reaping today."

"I think it's more than just that. You've put up this 'I'm fine' charade for the past two years now and you and I both know you're more than just a little stressed out." I gave him a defeated look and he offered a small smile. "Come on, talk to me."

"It's fine. I just want this reaping to be over and done with."

He shook his head and sighed. "You can't keep this bottled up inside you, Athea."

"I have everything under control," I said just as Micah came down the stairs. I smiled and motioned him over to join us, pretending that my conversation with Fahrin never happened. "Hey Micah, you ready to go?"

We walked together to town square where a large stage was set up. As usual, the square was filled with people of all ages, nervously waiting for the reaping to commence. By no means were we a career district. We've never had a volunteer for the games. Once we were identified, we were checked off the list and separated into our respective age groups. I was anxious about the number of peacekeepers, but I knew Micah would be in good hands with Fahrin near by.

"Ladies and gentlemen of District Three, it is my honor, Helena Goldburg, to be your Capitol representative for this year's seventieth annual Hunger Games!" The Capitol rep acted as if there was a huge applause before continuing. "I just have to say it is a joy to see all of your precious faces on this gracious day. Now, only two lucky people will receive the honor of being selected for this year's games and I'm sure you're all as excited as I am to find out…" I droned her out as she continued the mandatory speech of the Dark Days and the history behind the Hunger Games. If the rebellion would succeed in taking down the Capitol, the first thing I would want to get rid of would be the Hunger Games. Contrary to what the career districts think, the games were only a way to instill fear into the districts to prevent another uprising. It was revolting how some districts used it as a chance for fame and glory. "And now, it's time for the drawing… Ladies first!" She sauntered over in her heels to one of the glass, circular bins and dug around in it. Taking about a full minute to fish for one, she finally pulled out an innocent slip of paper and read it aloud. "Athea DiMae!"

My heart dropped in that instant and I felt my blood run cold. Within my racing thoughts, one thought burned through. Micah. I didn't move until I felt someone gently elbow me and even at that, I walked mechanically to the stage, thinking frantically of a way to keep Micah safe. Once I was beside Helena, she moved on to the boys, satisfied. I searched the crowd for Micah and finally I found him standing beside Fahrin. He locked eyes with me and tried to make his way up to the stage, but stopped when I shook my head. My eyes burned into him as I shook my head. He mustn't visit me after the reaping. He needed to go straight home where it was safe.

I didn't pay attention to the rest of the reaping and before I knew it, I was escorted to a small room to wait for visitors. If Micah did as he was told, he wouldn't show up. My heart ached knowing I wouldn't be able to see him before I left. The last bit of family he had left would be ripped away by the Capitol yet again.

The doors were thrown open and Micah tackled me into a tight hug, his tears soaking my shoulder.

"What are you doing? I told you not to come here. Didn't you understand?"

"I understood, Athea, but I came anyways. I don't care what happens to me afterwards, but I wasn't going to hide. This could be my last time seeing you, isn't that more important?"

"But this place is crawling with peacekeepers. They know you're with me now and will place you in a community home."

"I'm not a child anymore," he argued. "I can take care of myself and I'll be fine. You on the other hand…" he drifted off as he looked at me with sad eyes. Now I felt as if I were the child.

I embraced him one last time before the door opened again. Two peacekeepers grabbed and ripped him away from me. "No!" I shouted as tears streamed down my face, but there was nothing I could do but sit there as the door slammed shut in my face. I felt so powerless.

Fahrin was the next and last person to enter. He calmly sat beside me and wiped away my tears. "Everything's going to be okay, Athea," he murmured, trying to comfort me.

"No, everything is not going to be okay, Fahrin!" I angrily shouted, freely letting my emotions take over for this one instance.

"Yes it will," he stated firmly. "Micah is being taken to the community home, but I will watch over him and make sure that he's doing all right. Things will be alright back here, but what you need to focus on is what will happen in the Capitol."

"What am I going to do?" I whispered hoarsely.

He gave me one of those lopsided smiles and ruffled my hair. "You've got a brain up there. Use it."

* * *

**Give a warm welcome to our newest tribute, Athea DiMae!**

**I'm sure her brain will get her far**

**And that microchip is a curious little thing**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	6. District 4: Arra

**Arra Priestly**

I threw my knives, skewering the single target from across the training room with deadly accuracy. I had been training nonstop ever since this morning, my father's biting words still echoing in my head.

_"You better go to the center and train. You only have one more chance after tomorrow's reaping to volunteer and you're not anywhere near ready. At this rate, you'll never be good enough."_

Sweat streaked down my temple as I threw my last knife, hitting the last open area in the middle mark. The target was mutilated with knives, a spear, and a few arrows. Aim had always been my strong suit.

"Thought we'd find you here," Portland said, his voice ringing in the empty training room. Mirror, his twin sister, walked beside him as they came over to meet me.

"Training? How am I not surprised?" she joked, eyeing the butchered target on the other side of the room.

"Why are you guys here?" I asked, wiping my face off with my towel on the bench.

Mirror shrugged. "Our parents invited our grandparents over and we got bored, so we came here to see what you were up to." I didn't say anything, though I was annoyed that they so casually threw away their family's affections. I had to beg, borrow, and steal to even get my parents to look at me.

"You're not training for the upcoming games, are you?" Portland asked.

I let out a dry laugh. "Not exactly no. Maybe next year." _At this rate, you'll never be good enough._

Portland shook his head. "You're always in here training twenty-four-seven. I'm surprised you're waiting until next year to volunteer."

"I personally can't wait for the reaping. I wonder who the volunteers this year will be," Mirror chipped in.

I felt my eye twitch at her comment. I hated how everybody always got so worked up about the games. My father even demanded that I be a career, though it seemed that no matter how hard I tried, he was never satisfied. What was so great about it anyways? "You're not volunteering?"

"No, I don't think I'm ready yet. I guess we'll have to race each other for the spot next year."

We all didn't address the fact that at least one of us would die next year. I packed up all of my stuff and tossed my bag over my shoulder.

"Well I'm heading out. I suggest you guys do the same."

"You're leaving already? But we just got here," Portland protested. "Come on, Arra, it's not like your busy anyway."

"You and I both know if I stay here all night talking to you guys I won't be able to get up for the reaping. You've seen me in the mornings. You guys should go home too… you know family bonding time," I added with a smirk before heading out.

I walked back home as the gray sky began to cloud again and the ocean winds began to pick up. It's been storming every night as of late. When I got home, I found my mother lounging in the living room, babbling unintelligent things into the phone in her high soprano voice.

"Oh, Arra, I didn't think you'd be coming back so soon," Mother commented, seeing me walk through the door. "Your father said you wouldn't be back until very late."

I shrugged. "I decided sleep was more important."

She shrugged and continued her excited conversation. I rolled my eyes and went up to my room. My mother was my father's prized trophy wife. All she did, day in and day out, was stay home, fawn over herself with all of her expensive beauty products, redecorate the house, and gossip over the phone. It sounded like a dull lifestyle, but she very much enjoyed herself. I have to say, though she was still as beautiful as the day she got married, she very much lacked in intelligence, but she was a walk in the park compared to my father. He was almost never home and when he was, he either ignored me completely or demanded that I go train. Never once has he spared me a second glance, complimented me on my efforts, or even acknowledged me as a daughter. All I am to him is a tool – a trophy just like mom.

I dumped my bag on my bedroom floor, shaking my brown waves out of its ponytail, as I went to close the curtains. Looking out of the window, I saw that the streets were crawling with peacekeepers because of the reaping tomorrow. They were setting up the stage in town square with decorations and banners. My nose wrinkled in distaste as I shut the curtains. I always hated whenever the games rolled around. Everybody wouldn't shut up about it for a week and my father would actually take the time out of his precious schedule to lecture me about training harder. I just want to get this done and over with.

* * *

I stood amongst the other girls of my age group as more people gathered around the square. Mirror stood beside me, excited for the reaping to begin. Her twin was somewhere on the other side of the crowd, but I figured it would be a lost cause to search for him. The sky was as dreary as always, as we had yet another storm last night, which very much reflected my current mood.

"Good morning District Four!" The Capitol representative sang out. "Oh, I'm just thrilled to be here and I'm sure you all are too. Hmm, such a large selection of tributes today, I just simply can't wait!" I visibly winced at her high screech. She sounded like my mother.

I tried to block her speech out, trying not to blow an eardrum, as I looked around the crowd. My eyes landed on my father who stood beside the stage alongside my mother. It seemed as if he felt my stare as he searched the crowd and his eyes met mine. He looked back at the speaker indifferently, as if he never noticed me, and my anger flared. He snubbed me yet again for the Capitol and their games. I was even less important than that air-head of a representative to him. How long will this go on? No matter how hard I tried to please him, he shunned my efforts and belittled me. Damn Father with his damn Hunger Games. I've had enough of this. I'll show him. I'll show him that he's wrong and I _am _strong enough to win the games. Eff it. I'm not waiting another year. Might as well go now. Who'll care?

By now, the representative had drawn the female tribute's name and began to read the name off. "Lily Riv…"

"I volunteer!" I shouted over her. Mirror gaped at me in surprise, but I ignored it as I confidently made my way to the stage. I passed my mother and father on the way up. Mother was shocked speechless and Father's emotions were well hidden, but he stared at me as I climbed onto the stage.

"Oh, and what's your name?"

"Arra Priestly," I stated evenly, my voice ringing through the square.

As she continued with the boys, I looked over to where my parents stood. Mother had turned pale now and was probably trying to get Father to let her go home. I'm sure she didn't want to be seen in public in her distraught state. Father stared back at me with a stony expression and a grave look in his eyes. Just watch Father. I'll prove you wrong.

* * *

**Welcome Arra Priestly, our latest edition to the careers!**

**This will be an interesting career group with all of these different personalities**

**The speedy updates are because I have a lot of re-entries of characters for my last incomplete SYOT, Blood Lust so I simply just take it off of there and tweak it accordingly (Had two of them so far)**

**By the way, don't expect a speedy update like usual as my 4th July vacation starts tomorrow**

**And now skipping over to D6!**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	7. District 6: Yvette

**Yvette Alenin**

_My older brother, Andrey, and I walked back home from school together like we did every day. The school wasn't that far away from the housing district so Andrey would walk me back home before going to his job as an errand boy for the rich lady down the road. I liked these walks as it was the only time we could be alone. He was two years older than me so I never saw him at school and when we were at home, Father would always wave him off and shower me with gifts and attention._

_"You have a hole in your shoe," I noted, looking down at his feet. His shoes were worn and too small for him and his big toe was sticking out of the hole now._

_"Really?" he asked with a sheepish smile on his face. "I hadn't noticed. I guess I'll have to get new ones some time."_

_I knew he was lying. I had noticed this a long time ago and he often has foot pains because of it. He doesn't say anything about it though. All of his clothes were old and small while mine were crisp and new, but that was the way things were. Father always doted on and spent so much time on me that he often neglected Andrey. Sometimes, Father would even forget Andrey was there and Andrey, being Andrey, never said anything or complained about it. I wonder if things were like this when Mother was still alive._

_"So when do you get off work today?" I asked cheerfully, changing the topic._

_"Around ten. Mrs. Pearson wants me to clean out her shed for her and that will probably take a while."_

_"Oh, well hurry back then. I'll save your dinner until you get back," I promised just as we arrived at our house. Father didn't come home until seven so it'd just be me for a while._

_He laughed and roughed up my hair. "Okay I will. See you later."_

_I watched him continue down the road for a moment before going inside. Father was a mechanic, making enough to support us by himself after Mother's death. Mother died giving birth to me and from what I've heard, it really devastated him. I suppose that's why he spoils me, so that I could fill her place in his heart._

_Once inside, I went up to my room and plopped down onto the bed in exhaustion. My room was decorated and filled with gifts, toys, roses, and other pretty things that Father had bought me. I was almost running out of room for everything. I didn't particularly like that Father often ignored Andrey because of me, but I also didn't mind being showered with gifts either. I suppose I'll have to try to convince Father to get Andrey some new clothes. He's in desperate need of some. With that last thought, I let out a loud yawn and realized how tired I was. I wasn't usually this drained so I supposed it couldn't hurt taking a short nap before Father got home…_

_I was awakened when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I groggily squinted through the darkness to see my father's figure hovering above me._

_"Father? What time is it?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes._

_"About seven-thirty. I bought new roses for you. Your old ones were beginning to wilt. I put them in a vase on your nightstand. I know how much you love them."_

_I frowned knowing that I've told him plenty of times that I didn't like roses. I didn't like how my room would be overwhelmed by their scent. I tried to get up, but Father held my shoulder down._

_"You should rest. I didn't mean to wake you."_

_"I know, but I should get up now," I said, trying to get up again, but he forced me back down. I froze as I felt his other hand skim up my leg._

_"Relax, love. You always stress yourself out." I shook as his hand trailed over my stomach, my chest, then up to my face. He looked straight into my eyes, though it was as if he saw right through me. His eyes lowered to my trembling lips and in an instant, his were on mine. "Ana…"_

_I screamed and flailed, trying to get away from him, but he was so much stronger than me. Finally, I freed my leg and kicked him in the groin. He fell over, knocking over the table and shattering the vase of roses as I scrambled towards the door. I screamed again as he grabbed my ankle and pulled me to the ground. He was on top of me again and ripped apart the buttons of my shirt. I screamed and cried as he continued his advances._

_"Father stop!" I pleaded desperately, but he could no longer hear me._

_I continued to scream, hoping that someone would save me. Anyone... Suddenly, the door was thrown open and Father was thrown backwards, clutching his nose. Andrey grabbed my arm and we ran downstairs as quickly as we could. Everything happened so fast and I was still in a state of shock that I couldn't register everything that was happening. We got to the living room when Father came barreling down the stairs after us._

_"Ana!"_

_Andrey stopped and tried to ward him off. "Go! Go get help!" he shouted as Father tackled him to the ground. Before I turned to run, I saw the flash of a blade._

* * *

"AAHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I writhed on the floor, the memories flooding over me.

I convulsed and I felt as if I was reliving that nightmare all over again. I just wanted the memories to stop and leave me alone, but they continued to haunt me. I could never escape them. My head throbbed painfully as if it threatened to explode and spill the secrets of my past. It felt like hours before the door was thrown open and someone rushed to my side.

"Yvette, Yvette it's me," Andrey consoled as he held me to him. I continued to convulse and shake in his arms, but my screams slowly died in my throat as he rubbed comforting circles on my back. "Shhh, it's alright. I'm here. Nothing can hurt you now."

We stayed like that until my body stopped twitching, though I continued to tremble from the panic attack. "Andrey… I'm scared," I murmured, clutching his shirt.

"It's okay. There's nothing to be afraid of. He's gone and locked up far away from here. He can't hurt you anymore."

I nodded and he pulled away from me. I looked up to him and grimaced. His face had been disfigured from that night. As I ran to get help, Andrey was easily overpowered by Father. Father, in his madness, took a carving knife to his face. Andrey was never the same again. We both weren't.

Andrey dug around in his back pocket and retrieved a bottle. He opened it and fished out three pills – our medication for our panic attacks. "One for you, two for me," he stated, giving me one and downing the other two. "You have to remember to take your medication. I won't always be around to remind you."

I looked at the ground, my hair falling in my face once again. I had to take my medication twice a day to help repress the panic attacks. They couldn't stop them though. After that incident three years ago, my brother and I came to live at the orphanage. The other kids would often tease and harass us – my brother especially because of his face. Over the years, we realized that people teasing Andrey because of his face or saying certain words triggered my attacks. If I wasn't careful, the attacks can turn out to be very violent. Andrey's weren't as bad or as frequent, but because of them, the matron of the orphanage kept us isolated from the other children and most of them stayed away from us on their own. I preferred to be alone anyways. I only needed Andrey.

"Come on, we should probably get ready for the reaping today," Andrey said, helping me up.

"I hate the reaping," I muttered as Andrey dug around through my clothes.

"It'll be over before you know it. How about you wear a dress today?" he asked as he held up a faded yellow dress. I used to wear dresses all the time before that incident. Now, I rarely ever wear anything other than my baggy overalls. "Humor me. I'll meet you downstairs once you're done," Andrey said optimistically before leaving me to change.

I sighed as I held the dress in my hands. Even after everything that had happened, Andrey continued to look after me. He always hid his own pain so that I wouldn't worry about him. I still did though. I slipped the dress on before looking at myself in the cracked mirror on the wall. My once golden wavy hair lost its sheen and it hung limply over my face no matter how much I tried to fix it. I tried to straighten my slouching posture, but that didn't help much either. It seemed that no matter what I did, I couldn't return to being the girl I once was. After all that had happened, I knew I couldn't.

I finally went downstairs to meet Andrey. He was waiting for me expectantly at the door, dressed in a pair of slacks that were way too small on him and a white collared shirt. He offered me a smile and took my hand as we walked together to town square where they were holding the reaping. Once we arrived, the peacekeepers separated us and I was sorted with the other girls my age. None of them acknowledged me, but they made it a point to stay at least three feet away from me. I didn't care much though. I just wished Andrey was standing beside me.

The Capitol representative walked onto the stage wearing a crazy ensemble of bright yellow, making me question my choice of attire. She wore a huge grin as she scanned the crowd eagerly. "Hello people of District Six! It's a beautiful day to be out and about on this glorious holiday. It's a perfect way to kick off the seventieth Hunger Games." She continued on with her raving before playing the short clip they showed every year. By the end, she was tearing up and had to dab her eyes before her makeup could run. The rest of us, all the while, stood in silence as she composed herself. "It just gets to me every time! Now, I'm sure you're all impatient to start the drawing. Ladies first!" We watched as she strutted over to the bins and, after about two minutes of digging around, retrieved a name. Her eyes studied it carefully before looking up at the audience. "Yvette Alenin!"

My eyes widened in shock and the girls around me fearfully staggered away from me in case I would have another panic attack. I felt another one rising as I took a shaky step towards the stage. In an instant, I felt a hand in mine. I looked up at Andrey as he silently led me to the stage. When we reached the bottom of the stage, he turned to leave, but I grasped his hand tightly.

"Don't go," I whispered desperately, my hands shaking in fear.

"I won't, but you need to go. When you get up there, don't think of anything. Just look at me, okay?" he said, giving me a small smile before letting go of my hand.

I hesitantly made my way onto the stage, never losing eye contact with him. The representative seemed satisfied and continued with the drawing. I didn't hear who the male tribute was and I never looked away from Andrey even when I was to shake hands with my district partner. Even now, in the face of losing me, he continued to smile and be strong for me… but I knew that on the inside, he was breaking down as quickly as I was.

* * *

**Aww, poor Yvette**

**I wonder how she'll be able to get through the games**

**Thought I'd put this one up before vacation. I'll see you guys in a week or so!**

**Off to D7 next! We have two tributes from there**

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Makes the story look more interesting than it really is.**

**I want to start getting people who didn't send in characters in to like this story too. Your support won't go unanswered!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	8. Author's Note

**Oh god the dreaded author's note**

**So I apologize to you guys for not updating in nearly a month. Things have been a little hectic since I got back from vacation. One of my friends had died over the fourth of july weekend, which has been hard on me and many of the people at my school. I also had college visits, applications, and essays to worry about and of course my side writing, which honestly I prioritize over this and still haven't been able to write any of that either. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like my schedule isn't clearing up any time soon especially with the school year coming up, but I am going to keep this story on hold and continue it once everything has calmed down. Sorry for the belated message. I haven't been on fanfiction since I left.**

**Hope to see you guys all soon!**


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